Dubai-based Ten Sports agreed a five-year, $140.5 million deal for the TV rights for cricket matches in Pakistan from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), from 2009 to 2013.
PCB chief operating officer Salim Altaf, said: "It is an excellent deal for a period of five years and starts with the home series against India. The process of bidding is based on optimum situation which is that all teams will tour Pakistan as per schedule and if teams do not come to Pakistan we have the option of playing at the neutral venue".
India's tour, though, is currently in doubt with security concerns. Pakistan have not played a Test in 2008, and besides the Asia Cup, the only home contests for them this year were five-match ODI series against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. Australia postponed their tour earlier this year, and the Champions Trophy has been delayed until 2009.
If India pull out of the tour for security reasons, it effectively means no established team will tour Pakistan for the foreseeable future. "We are very much optimistic the tour will go ahead as planned," Altaf said. However, he added the PCB was also considering organising the series in Sharjah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates should India refuse to tour.
